Marinated and Seared Chicken with Tomatoes and Basil

Copyright 2013 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

Looking for a healthy recipe to accompany my baked flounder on the family's November 1st celebration, I decided to use one of Lidia's recipe. The original recipe actually used chicken breasts of which I am not a big fan of, so I decided to use regular chicken pieces and change the recipe just a tiny bit. The result was really good and even though I only tasted a small portion of it, this dish to me says nothing else but, ITALY!

Just in case you are wondering what is the relevance of November 1st, well, it is the time of the year when we remember our family members who have died. Although All Soul's Day falls on November 2nd, for some strange reason, Filipinos celebrate this special day a day early. We also usually prepare a lot of dishes cooked in coconut oil but since my Mom is no longer around, it is me or my cousin who does the most work during family occasions. We both decided to go simple so I made the main dishes (and I went the Italian route) while she made the native dishes that uses either coconut milk or just plain grated coconut meat. This recipe is indeed a strange departure from the usual dishes prepared on this special day but it surely made our lives a lot more easygoing that day.

Marinated and Seared Chicken with Tomatoes and Basil - Adapted*

2 lbs chicken pieces
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried sage
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Sauce:
1 28-oz whole tomatoes, canned
8 garlic cloves, sliced
1/8 tsp red chili flakes
salt
1/2 cup basil leaves, julienned

1. In a large bowl, combine the chicken with the garlic, dried herbs, half the 
    olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover with a clingfilm and store 
    in the fridge overnight. 

2.  In a deep skillet over medium heat, add the remaining olive oil and once 
     heated, fry the chicken pieces in small batches until browned and cooked 
     through. Set aside. 

3. In the same skillet, add the garlic into the drippings and saute until golden 
    brown. Add the chili flakes and saute for a minute. 

4.  Pour the tomatoes into a bowl and crush them with your hands. Wash off 
     the can with a cup of water and add to the bowl of crushed tomatoes. 
     Add into the skillet and bring to a boil.

5. Once boiling, decrease the heat to low and allow to simmer covered for 10 
    minutes. 

6. Check the sauce for flavor and season with salt. Add the basil leaves and 
    stir. Cook for another minute. 

7. To serve, ladle about half the sauce in a serving platter. Arrange the 
    chicken pieces and sppon the rest of the sauce on top of the chicken. 
    Garnish with a sprig of basil.

*Lidia's Italy: Seared Marinated Chicken with Tomatoes and Basil.